Tag Archives: blogging101

Blogging 101

Re-sprung boing, boing

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In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Re-springing Your Step.”

As Zebedee said “Time for bed”. Which may be a clue to getting the spring back in my step. To many late nights for good and bad reasons slow me up. Actually it’s not the late nights that cause the problems it is the early mornings. I’m fine going to bed at 2:00 a.m. provided I don’t have to get up again before 10.

It is the middle of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere and although the days are gradually getting longer it is not properly light until eight and it is getting dark again by four. That’s on a good day, on one that we actually see the sun. If it is a normal London winter’s day, overcast, dank and if not actually raining, threatening to rain or sleet but hardly ever snow, it can feel as if we will never see the sun again. Other than having to earn enough to pay the rent and buy the food, there isn’t that much incentive to get out of a nice warm bed in the morning. Continue reading Re-sprung boing, boing →

Blogging 101, Cycling

Cycling in Cork and Kerry – along time ago.

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I started to follow Adam’s blog The Wine Cycle because, well it is a cycle touring blog and I am a sucker for reading about other people’s cycle touring adventures, and he also has an interesting concept; Continue reading Cycling in Cork and Kerry – along time ago. →

Blogging 101

An appeal to my ideal reader

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In trying to work out who my ideal reader could be I first had to work out who I was writing for. It turned out to be myself . My blog is not intended to be a commercial operation. I am not blogging to make money from it. I am not even hoping to make money from it. I know there are bloggers out there who do at least supplement their income from blogging, but I’m not one of them.

As I wrote in my introductory post I started this blog (under the name johnm55) in the hope of influencing a few people to vote yes to electoral reform back in 2010. I still hope that what I write will have some influence on my readers but that is no longer why I blog. I blog because I enjoy it. I blog because the act of writing for someone else to read helps me to clarify my thoughts in a way that putting them down in a journal for my consumption does not. That means that I write about what interests me today. It could be a piece about politics but it could equally be a review of an art exhibition or sharing a recipe that I have made and liked. Other subjects that often feature are cycling, especially road racing, but not exclusively, I like all forms of cycling. I also have an occasional feature called “Songs I Love”, where I take a You Tube video of a song that I really love and explain why. Most of the music featured tends to be either Folk or the music that gets listed under the title “Americana”. I also post the occasional photo essay, mainly if I have been off on my travels.

As I said, I think that I am probably my ideal reader. However I bit of interaction on a blog, or even knowing that someone other than your partner is reading it is nice. So the person I am writing for probably shares at least some of my characteristics. They are probably interested in politics but not obsessed. They will read books, listen to music and have opinions on what they read and listen to. They will enjoy food, both eating and probably cooking it. They will probably enjoy traveling and exploring new places, close to home and further afield. They will appreciate that a bicycle is one of the best ways to travel. They will probably also be interested in the sporting aspects of the bicycle even if, like me they don’t race.

If my reader is ultra-interested in any of those topics my blog probably won’t satisfy completely. It will hopefully point him or her towards people whose knowledge of politics, art, music, food or cycling is more extensive than my own.

One characteristic of my ideal reader that I haven’t mentioned yet is this;

My ideal reader brings something to the blog by adding his or her comments. I welcome constructive criticism, but agreeing with me is even better.

Politics, Thoughts and Opinions

Je Suis Charlie

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This post was prompted, obviously, by yesterday’s murder of the Charlie Hebdo journalists, apparently by Islamist fanatics. Now some people felt that Charlie Hebdo went out of its way to offend Muslims, this is not true. Charlie Hebdo went out of its way to take the Mickey out every one. It didn’t matter whether you are a Catholic, a Jew, a Protestant, a Buddhist or especially a French politician, you will find something in the magazine to offend you. Do a Google Image search for Charlie Hebdo and you will see what I mean.

The attack yesterday was an attack on freedom of speech. It was an attempt by people who believe that their god would approve of wiping out anyone who disagrees with them. It was an attempt to silence all criticism of their fanatical death cult. The sad thing is that it may work after a fashion. Newspaper editors, columnists and cartoonists may think twice before publishing something, though I think that Steve Bell hits exactly the right tone in today’s Guardian:
Steve Bell 08.01.15

We need to keep pointing and laughing at these people. I know that what they do is not particularly funny, but it is ridiculous.

The post was also prompted by a couple of things that Billy Bragg said on Facebook.

Yesterday he just left this quote:

““Fanaticism is a monster that pretends to be the child of religion” Voltaire

 
I can basically agree with that, though I am not so sure about the word pretends, bastard child possibly, but this sort of fanaticism stems from a particular understanding of religion. Whether its out working is the killing of twelve journalists in Paris, flying an aeroplane into the World Trade Centre or murdering abortion providers in Alabama, the problem is religion and actions that can be justified by a selective reading of a holy book.

A woman called Rekha Kodikara posted this in response;

“Je suis Charlie

Just because I believe in religion
Does not mean it is sacred

Just because I believe in God
Does not make me holy

Just because I speak
Does not mean I am right

Just because I am silent
Does not mean I agree

Just because I criticise
Does not mean I hate

Just because you are angry
Does not mean I fear

Just because I think
Does not mean I am free

Just because you pray
Does not mean you are blessed

Just because you kill
Does not mean I will hide

Just because you threaten
Does not mean I will surrender

Just because there is religion
Does not mean we are happy

Just because there is God
Does not mean we live in peace

Hate is ruled by fear
Fear is governed by ignorance
Ignorance can lead to dogma
And Dogma can lead to death

Freedom from Fear
Je suis Charlie

 
I don’t know if she is Christian, Muslim, Bahai or what ever but it does make a poetic case for good religion.

Today Billy said this;

“I was rather disappointed by the number of people who responded to the Voltaire quote I posted yesterday by seeking to blame people of faith for the massacre carried out in Paris. When you say that religion is the problem here, you condemn all believers, just as the fundamentalists condemn all non-believers.

Multiculturalism means having respect for things that you yourself don’t subscribe to. The killers yesterday were intolerant of those who had different views to their own. In times of outrage, intolerance becomes contagious. We must guard against those who wish to punish all Muslims and people of colour for the crimes committed yesterday.

 
I have no wish to target people of colour or Muslims in revenge for yesterday’s attack on Charlie Hebdo. Similarly because I do not feel the need to apologise for every white racist attack, I do not necessarily expect every Muslim in the world to apologise for this.
Having said that, all religions are based on a false premiss, some like wooly Anglicanism, Sufi Islam and Zen Buddhism seem to be fairly benign, others like the Salafist form of Islam seem to be anything but. I see no reason why I should be prepared to tolerate this in the name of multiculturalism any more than I should tolerate the racism of Britain First, rampant homophobia or sexism.